I turned my computer on for the first time in DAYS today with the intention of writing up a post.  That was over 6 hours ago, and I am just now getting to it.  We are blissfully busy, and it is a nice feeling to not have the time or more importantly the desire to be on my laptop.

Anyway.  Nathan & Samuel are napping, so that leaves me time to catch up on my blog {and celebrity gossip…duh}.

This recipe is so simple that it is almost too easy.  When I was on my “clean out the kitchen” tirade, this was the perfect option to use up the leftover spaghetti in the fridge.  Yes, I realize most people use Fettuccine, but I didn’t have that.  I had thin spaghetti…so call this an improvise if you will.

Pasta Alfredo {from Martha Stewart}

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 lb grated Parmesan cheese
• salt

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. In an electric mixer, beat butter & Parmesan until creamy.
3. In the warm pot, mix pasta, 1/2 tsp salt, cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup of pasta water.  Add more water as needed.

Grade: C+

Comments: Okay.  This recipe description says it is a Martha Stewart favorite, but there is no way.  It isn’t bad by any means, but it definitely wasn’t great either.  I was actually really disappointed.  It wasn’t very creamy, and it had almost no flavor.  It definitely needs some spices.  I’ll probably never make it again.  That said, it is so easy that there is definitely a time and a place for it.  It isn’t a bad base recipe, but you would have to make some changes to make it worth making…possibly add spices and some veggies.

Yesterday was an important day.  I was FINALLY cleared to run/exercise – 6 weeks after my c-section!  I’ve been itching to get back out there.  Last week Nathan and I stopped & bought some new running sneakers for me and the Nike + mileage tracker thing.  I had started walking some more.  Now I can RUN!  To celebrate, Samuel, Nathan, and I are doing a 5K together tomorrow.  We’ll probably walk/jog it, but I am really excited to start training for my upcoming races.

I made a recipe similar to this one earlier in the summer.  Coincidentally that one was also a Martha Stewart recipe.  This recipe is inspired by my favorite of all of her cookbooks: The Original Classics.  If you ever buy just one Martha Stewart cookbook this should be it.  I love The New Classics as well, but the orange book is just so fun.  I could spend hours reading the recipes and all of the included cooking tips.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese {inspired by Martha Stewart: The Original Classics}

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 4 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 2-3 qt casserole dish.  Set aside.
2. In a large pasta pot, cook macaroni according to directions.  Drain & set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a medium saucepan by cooking on medium high heat.
4. Melt the butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat.  When the butter begins to bubble, slowly mix in the flour.  Cook & stir for 1 minute.
5. While whisking, slowly pour the hot milk into the flour mixture.  Continue cooking and whisk constantly until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick {about 8 minutes}.
6. Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the nutmeg and red pepper flakes.
7. Next, stir in the cheddar cheese until the sauce is thick and all of the cheese is melted.
8. Poor the cheese mixture into the pasta pot with the cooked macaroni.  Coat the macaroni thoroughly.
9. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.  Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
10. Cook for 15 minutes.

Grade: A-

Comments: Delicious!  Baked macaroni and cheese is so good, because you get the “hard” top and the gooey inside.  You could easily add broccoli to this if you wanted some vegetables.  This recipe could be easily cut down or made larger.  I think we got about 10 servings from this, and Nathan took leftovers for lunch during the week.  It reheats nicely, and you could even freeze it if you preferred!

I am just going to title this week “Everyday Food by Martha Stewart Week.”  Why you ask?

There are four recipes that will probably go up this week from that magazine.  This is the first.  See, I LOVE Everyday Food.  I get the magazine, use the iPhone app, and often search for the recipes on the Martha Stewart website.  Everyday Food is Martha’s version of “quick & easy.”  If you are familiar with the Martha Stewart cookbooks {like me and own almost all of them} then you know her recipes usually take a little longer to make.  Everyday Food is usually an hour or less which is perfect when you have a newborn {and your life is now measured in two or so hour increments}.

Zucchini Lasagna {slightly modified from Everyday Food}

Ingredients:

• olive oil, for baking dish
• 8 ounces fat free cream cheese, room temperature
• 15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 6 no boil lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly oil an 8×8 baking dish & set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese and ricotta; season with salt and pepper.
3. Cut the zucchinis in half.  Then slice into thin pieces.
4. Spread 1/3 zucchini mixture in prepared baking dish & top with oregano; top with two lasagna noodles, then 1/3 ricotta mixture. 
5. Repeat twice with remaining zucchini mixture, noodles, and ricotta mixture, finishing with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
6. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil & cook for 35 minutes.  Remove the foil & cook for another 20 minutes until cheese is brown.  Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Grade: A-

Comments: This was my first time using no boil lasagna noodles, and they were pretty good.  I’d probably just use regular ones next time {for any lasagna honestly}.  This dish turned out to be very delicious.  The zucchini by itself was a great idea, and the cheeses complemented it perfectly!  The recipe on the Martha Stewart website says it makes 4 servings, but we cut it into 9 pieces.  4 servings would mean the pieces were HUGE.  This was a fabulous summer dish!

See my life is all about balance.  Yesterday I posted what could be one of the most fattening recipes I’ve ever made.  Today?  Spinach burgers.

You can now see the inner workings of my eating habits.

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs: the domestic mama and the village cook.  It’s a fabulous blog with a wide range of recipes & foods which I like.  This caught my eye, because I absolutely love spinach, and it looked quick.  I made a few changes, but nothing major.

First, I have to be upfront.  Nathan hated these.  He took one bite and said he couldn’t eat it.  Apparently he doesn’t like cooked spinach.  I had NO idea.  I never make spinach as a side dish, so it had never really come up until Wednesday when I made these for dinner.  You definitely have to LOVE spinach to enjoy these.

Spinach Burgers {modified from the domestic mama and the village cook}

Ingredients:

• 1 box frozen spinach, slightly thawed
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tbs red pepper flakes
• 2 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbs basil

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, cook the spinach until it is soft.  Not completely done though.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix the egg, egg whites, bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, salt, basil, and red pepper flakes.
3. Drain the spinach very well.  Add to the bowl mixture.
4. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high.  Spray with olive oil.
6. Shape the spinach mixture into burger patties.
7. Cook the patties until brown on each side.  About 5 minutes a side.
8. Serve on a whole wheat bun with veggies!

Grade: B

Comments: These were definitely good.  Like I said earlier, Nathan hated it, but his opinion is null & void due to his apparent dislike of spinach.  I’d probably make them again for me as a lunch food.  It was definitely not enough for a dinner meal.  Also, I’d add more.  The original recipe called for garlic salt and onion, but I am currently avoiding both of those items.  I think that they would have added a lot of flavor to the dish.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Foodbuzz and Buitoni and asked to host a dinner party pairing Buitoni products with salads.  I was more than willing to do it!  I saw it as my last chance to throw a dinner party before Samuel arrives.  Nathan obliged and we invited some of our best friends over for a delicious meal.  I spent a considerable amount of time putting together what I thought would be a perfect menu.

I love Buitoni pastas, and we’ve eaten them a few times.  They cook really fast which is great when you’re trying to put together a dinner party.  It is important to get everything on the table in a timely fashion, and refrigerated pastas cook MUCH faster than dry pasta.

All of the recipes below are my own.  If there is one thing I can cook without a cookbook it is Italian food!

{I’ve typed all of the recipes in Google Docs so as not to write the longest blog post EVER.  If you click on any of the dishes you should get the corresponding recipe in a printable file.}

The players:

• Three Cheese Ravioletti
• Quattro Formaggi Agnolotti
• Spicy Beef & Sausage Ravioli
• Linguine

The menu:

Drinks

Nathan’s home brewed beer

water with lemon for me

{I had wine, but the beer was so popular it never got opened!}

Salads

Caprese Salad

Romaine with Prosciutto

Panzanella

Pastas

Linguine with Tomato Sauce & Ricotta

Three Cheese Ravioletti with Brown Butter Sauce

Sicilian “Sauce” with Agnolotti & Ravioli

Dessert

Espresso

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Sauce

First, let me tell you that every single dish was a hit.  I can only take so much credit, because the quality of the pasta really carried the meal.  Our guests {and us} ate so much food!  I just couldn’t help trying everything.  Look at my plates:

Nine months pregnant or not that was a LOT of food!  I just wanted to make sure to enjoy everything, and I did.

I can’t say enough good things about Buitoni after this dinner party.  It was so nice to have such a wide variety of pastas from which I could select at the grocery.  Each one brought something a little different to dinner.  I was blown away by how delicious and filling each pasta was, and I loved the flavor of them!  Definitely make sure to think of them next time you are hosting an Italian dinner party!

{These pictures were taken with Nathan’s Canon Rebel XTI instead of my iPhone.}

I was compensated for this party through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program.  All of my opinions are honest and accurate.

Macaroni & cheese is one of those foods that takes me back to my childhood.  I love that it hasn’t lost its charm after all of these years.  There is something incredibly comforting about a bowl of mac & cheese, laughing at dinner, and talking about our days.

A few months ago, however, I had a huge mac & cheese mess up.  I bought cheap shredded cheese, because I thought it would work.  It didn’t, and it was quite possibly the most disgusting dinner I’ve made.  We ended up throwing it out and eating sandwiches.  I thought Nathan would ban me from ever putting mac & cheese on the table again {lest it be from a certain iconic blue box}, but I convinced him to let me take another swing at it.  Armed with a new recipe and better cheese, I just knew I could pull it off.

I did.

We all know that I aspire to be Martha Stewart {minus the jail time}, so it is only natural I would turn to her website to find the recipe that would make my prior mac & cheese sins forgiven.  This recipe is awesome.

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese {from MarthaStewart.com}

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt
• 4 cups whole milk {don’t skimp on this…go for the whole.  It is going to make a difference}
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 pound small shell pasta or elbow macaroni
• 4 cups coarsely grated sharp yellow cheddar (3/4 pound)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium.
2. Chop the onion and add it to the butter.  Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.
4. Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk; add 2 more cups milk and cayenne and whisk until smooth.
5. Cook mixture, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until boiling, 6 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain thoroughly and put in a bowl.
7. Remove sauce from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Quickly whisk in cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to coat.
   

Grade: A

Comments: At first I was worried that I had screwed up my cheese sauce, because the consistency didn’t seem right.  However, it was perfect!  This was SO good.  The recipe says it is for 6 servings, but it made almost 10 {at least for us}.  This would be so good with hot dogs or at a picnic.  The cheese flavor isn’t too super strong, but it is just enough to be absolutely delicious.  I definitely recommend not skimping on the milk and cheese to go for lower fat – just accept that this recipe isn’t healthy and move on.

I have an obsession with trying different pancake recipes.  I don’t think I’ve used the same one twice, because there are so many out there.  I found this one on AllRecipes.com which you all know is one of my favorite sites.  {Admittedly I have dreams of moving to Seattle and being one of their food testers if such a position exists.}

I made the sauce from my own guessing.  It turned out well thank goodness.

Whole Wheat Pancakes {modified from AllRecipes.com}

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tbs white vinegar
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tbs white sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs melted butter
• cooking spray {I used olive oil}

Directions:

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to “sour”.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into “soured” milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Peanut Butter Sauce {my own recipe}

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs honey
• 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter

Directions:

1. In a small pot cook the honey on medium.  Once the consistency is thinned add the peanut butter. 
2. Stir frequently for 2 minutes.
3. It will cool very fast.  Let it cook for about 15 seconds then spread on pancakes!

Grade: B+

Comments: This is the first time I had ever made whole wheat pancakes {I literally just bought whole wheat flour for the first time about 2 weeks ago}, and they were pretty good.  The peanut butter sauce was divine, and it made the whole thing seem almost like a peanut butter sandwich.  Adding the honey was a good idea, because it made it a little sweeter almost like a syrup.  It was a great weekend breakfast that got our day off to a good start!

I have a subscription to Everyday Food: A Martha Stewart Magazine.  I love it if only because the recipes are “weekday compatible.”  They are pretty fast, use simple ingredients, and they don’t break the bank.  When my June issue came, I immediately knew I had to try this recipe.  I marked the page, and I worked it into the menu for the very next week.  The picture alone was enough to make my mouth water.

No Bake Summer Lasagna {from Everyday Food June 2010}

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbs + 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 lasagna noodles
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 2 zucchini (about 1 lb)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, and 2 tsp oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Break lasagna noodles in half.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions; drain.
3. Cut the grape tomatoes in half.  Thinly slice the zucchini.
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes. 
5. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl.
6. Add 1 tbs oil and zucchini to the skillet; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to another bowl.
7. Place some tomatoes on plates; top with a noodle and small spoonfuls of ricotta mixture, zucchini, and more tomatoes.  Repeat layering twice, then top with remaining noodles and tomatoes.

Grade: B+

Comments: This was really good.  I love lasagna, but I avoid it like the plague in the summer.  It had never dawned on me to make it this way.  It would be good with even more vegetables like squash, cucumbers, onion, and other summer veggies.  You could also rework the recipe to be a delicious pasta salad if that is more your style.  The fact it is sauceless is really nice, and it lightened up the dish a ton.  If you really wanted something, it would be great with a little Italian dressing drizzled on it.

{This week’s menu is posted!}

Look!  It’s a recipe post.  I found my iPhone charger hidden in a pocket of a suitcase over the weekend.  This basically exemplifies how the whole move has gone.  We did not do a good job of packing, and we’ve been randomly finding things ever since.

I found this recipe on Foodbuzz a while back, and I saved it.  I’ve been meaning to try it, but I just never did.  Finally right before we moved I decided I HAD to have these potatoes {oh pregnancy cravings}.

Fondue Potatoes {from Las Vegas Food Adventures via Foodbuzz}

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup grated fontina cheese (about 2½ ounces)
• ¾ cup grated swiss cheese (about 2½ ounces)
• 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 4 medium potatoes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Wash but do not peel the potatoes. With the tip of a sharp knife, pierce the potatoes in several places. Wrap in paper and place on a microwave safe plate. Microwave till just cooked through being careful to avoid overcooking {mine took about 6 minutes on high}. Unwrap and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Make a cheese sauce by melting the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add all of the milk at once and continue to stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheeses. Stir till cheese melts. Season with black pepper.
3. With a small spoon carefully scoop out the middle of each potato leaving about ½ inch around the sides. Place the scooped out potato pulp the cheese sauce and gently stir until just combined.
4. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. (tip: a small shallow pile of coarse rock salt can be placed on the baking pan to act as an anchor to prevent the potatoes from tipping over while filling and baking). Fill with the cheese mixture. Bake in a hot 375 degree oven till the tops are brown and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Grade: A+

Comments:  These are delicious!  I am so glad that I finally made them.  Nathan and I have already talked about adding them to the menu again, and we almost never repeat recipes in our house!  Nathan ate his with a chicken breast, and he said the potato was so filling he hardly touched the chicken.  I ate my potato alone.  It is a great twist on the usual potato, and it was so easy to make!  You HAVE to try these!

Sometimes I get these ideas in my head about what sounds good.  This was one of those times.  I’ve been craving Mexican food and pasta which is a weird combination.  Except it isn’t.  It turns out that it is a really delicious combination.

We had this on Sunday night.  Sunday morning I did the Junior League ShamRock n Roll 5K with my friend Evyan.  We both brought our dogs, and we had a great time.

This was taken at 7:50 AM.  On a Sunday.  I’m 25 weeks pregnant exactly.  This was before the race.  Also, somehow Stitch got cut out of the photo.

So, anyway, Sunday night this was dinner.  I am grateful it was so easy to make!  It would be a great family meal if you have kids.

Southwest Pasta

Ingredients:

• 12 oz spaghetti
• 1 can corn
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups salsa
• 1 can black beans
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 small onion
• 1 tbs olive oil
• low fat shredded cheese {I used mozzarella}
• fat-free sour cream

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
2. Meanwhile, chop onion and pepper. 
3. In a small pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute onions and peppers until onions are clear.
4. Drain the pasta.  Dump into a large bowl.
5. Mix in corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, sauteed onions & peppers, and salsa.  Toss.
6. Serve warm {or it is delicious cold as leftovers} and top with shredded cheese and sour cream!

Grade: A+

Comments: This dish is surprisingly delicious.  Nathan was a little weary of it at first, but it turns out he loves it.  The best part is that it is JUST if not more delicious as leftovers the next few days.  I made a ton of it, so it has lasted all week for lunches which has been nice.  You could easily add more vegetables if you wanted, but I think this was plenty.  The sour cream was a nice touch just to make it a little creamier.  You definitely need to try this!